Player Watch #21: Noah Balta

[sanaya]

You sure you aren't seeing soccer club stats?
I haven't exactly done anything more than a quick Google, but I can't find anything AFL club related

No Cookies | Herald Sun

No Cookies

www.heraldsun.com.au

'Rogers said ruckman Balta, who is the cousin of Richmond’s Noah, was progressing rapidly and would be a “scary footballer in the next 12-24 months”.'



now idk if that means players that have been registered with a club for less than 3 years or within the last 3 years so im not exactly sure

 

[juss]

Beside CHF is still the most important position on the field, for all we know Balta may be the next AA CHF.

It's not the 90s anymore. The true CHF doesn't have as clear a role as they used to and it hasn't been the most important position in years. The intercepting CHB is far more important than the CHF.

Demons had average tall forwards at best, but they don't win the flag without May and Lever.

We won a flag with Jack and 5 short people, because we had Grimes, Rance, Astbury, Vlastuin eating everything that came down.

 

[4tune8]

I think Noah has shown AA calibre potential as a defender.
Yet to see anything close to that potential as a forward so far, put the aces in their places.
We've got an AA potential CHB on our hands.

The big intercepting defenders are the cornerstones of the best teams in the way the game is currently played, and probably has been for the last decade. The forwards might get the big bucks and media love, but it's the defence that is the most important to get right.

Not sure why people are so keen to move the closest thing to Rance we have to an untried forward position.

You need to look at his highlights in his draft year as well as VFL footage in his 1st year, the fella is an absolute gun at either end of the ground.

He is not untried as a forward.

We need to have the players playing in positions where they have the most impact, most will say that's as a KPD but that's not where he most impactful. Wing/ruck/KPF/KPD is where he sits

 

[SumTingWong]

Training with our VFL side - not AFL.

How tall is he?

 

[Roksman]

No Cookies | Herald Sun

No Cookies

www.heraldsun.com.au

View attachment 1289449

'Rogers said ruckman Balta, who is the cousin of Richmond’s Noah, was progressing rapidly and would be a “scary footballer in the next 12-24 months”.'

View attachment 1289450

now idk if that means players that have been registered with a club for less than 3 years or within the last 3 years so im not exactly sure

Within the last 3 years is the rule.

 

[Grrr]

It's not the 90s anymore. The true CHF doesn't have as clear a role as they used to and it hasn't been the most important position in years. The intercepting CHB is far more important than the CHF.

Demons had average tall forwards at best, but they don't win the flag without May and Lever.

We won a flag with Jack and 5 short people, because we had Grimes, Rance, Astbury, Vlastuin eating everything that came down.

That is true up to a point. There is a reason why CHF's are not as noticeable as before, because there are so few good ones these days. Your point about winning in 2017 with only Jack goes to illustrate how important he was. No chance in the world we win that flag without Jack. Our back 6 operated brilliantly as a group, but Jack was exceptional.

The best tall forwards in the league are still the old ones. Jack, Hawkiins, Franklin, Walker, mobile CHF's who cover the whole forward line and up to the wing. McKay, Kennedy and the King boys are more your traditional FF's. The next best all rounder are Naughton and Jeremy Cameron, again CHF's, but they are a bit inconsistent.

Jack was quite impotent when he had to go up the ground to the wing last year. He has lost his spring so he relied on body work whereas before he would be on their backs. Lynch for some reason hardly moved forward of the 50, and we looked so much better when he did. Our forward line was pretty awful last year.

Naughton took Richmond apart two years ago as a mobile CHF. His ability to cover ground between the arc's was like Richo that day, how much would you like Richo playing CHF in our present side. Balta has a touch of the Richo. Explosive power, good in the air and equally good off the ground. Last year we fluffed around with the ball so much because nobody presented at high CHF. We are not a sideways chipping side. If not Balta then at least give Miller a go preseason and see how he goes.

Melbourne may not have had a good CHF in the GF side, but they had Brown, Jackson and McDonald all playing around the CHF line, with Fritsch deep. We played pretty much the entire season without one.

 

[Del65166]

3rd KPF is a difficult position to play. Whoever plays it is often sacrifing their game for structure. Balta might get lost doing it and not have much impact. I want Balta having maximum impact when he plays.
I don't know how selectors are going to set up the backline. Tarrant plus Balta or Miller or gibcus. I'd suggest. If they reckon Miller/gibcus can play their role then yeah look to trial balta half fwd. It may or may not work. I don't mind Balta back up ruck either. As far as a replacement for JR, wait and see. Lost some leap but look at the huge mark he took. Balta is fast and can kick long. Maybe play him wing. I'm a bit over kmac TBH.
I'd see how our season goes before retiring all the champs. 300 games is a legit milestone, if cotchin and sheds can achieve that. Retain them for 2023.

 

[Dr Tigris]

If Balta moves forward they surely have to play him as a focal point. Jack to roam and use his smarts playing against the 3rd best KPD.

Right here and now we've got proven talls in the spine. If Miller can step in that provides us with freedom to do thigns with Noah.

Gibcus isn't ready to go against the monsters. If he plays it's one of two games stepping into a hole.

Same with Sampson, he'll unlikely be physically ready in 2022 to play full time.

But great opportunity to develop these guys and hit 2023 with relatively physically ready tall players.

 

[Del65166]

If Balta moves forward they surely have to play him as a focal point. Jack to roam and use his smarts playing against the 3rd best KPD.

Right here and now we've got proven talls in the spine. If Miller can step in that provides us with freedom to do thigns with Noah.

Gibcus isn't ready to go against the monsters. If he plays it's one of two games stepping into a hole.

Same with Sampson, he'll unlikely be physically ready in 2022 to play full time.

But great opportunity to develop these guys and hit 2023 with relatively physically ready tall players.

Lynch is there, jack can play well around high half fwd. His experience is invaluable. Balta is untried in the key fwd role. I can't see him being the focal point.

 

[Dr Tigris]

Lynch is there, jack can play well around high half fwd. His experience is invaluable. Balta is untried in the key fwd role. I can't see him being the focal point.

My point was that playing Balta as a 3rd tall isn't a good idea. He should either be main man in defence of main in forward line. Jack can play that slippery role. But Noah ain't that guy.

 

[sante]

Balta should be our #2 ruck

 

[Morro]

Balta wouldnt just be our 3rd tall forward, he would be our 2nd ruck also which he is a freakin weapon at.

 

[Grrr]

Lynch is there, jack can play well around high half fwd. His experience is invaluable. Balta is untried in the key fwd role. I can't see him being the focal point.

Jack and Lynch both played deep last year which was really odd. The media were getting stuck in to Lynch and Hardwick about it.
Jack used to play outside the 50, but he was ineffectual last year there.

Balta (or Miller maybe) could plays outside the 50, Lynch deep and Jack goes where ever he wants with the 3rd tall. Posters want Caddy playing that role, well Jack is a lot better than Caddy.

Balta should be our #2 ruck

Nank only need 8-10 minutes rest a Q. Balta could take CHF, have a spell on the bench 4-5 in the ruck per Q.

Not sure Soldo will be ready to go round 1, hasn't played footy in 18 months so will need some VFL under his belt I reckon.

 

[Waca Jr]

If Miller holds down his spot and Gibcus tracks ahead of schedule I would be happy having Balta as a utility

 

[Marcel Proust]

Always thought turning the possiblity of balta out of the backline into a meme was fraught with danger

 

[Del65166]

Jack and Lynch both played deep last year which was really odd. The media were getting stuck in to Lynch and Hardwick about it.
Jack used to play outside the 50, but he was ineffectual last year there.

Balta (or Miller maybe) could plays outside the 50, Lynch deep and Jack goes where ever he wants with the 3rd tall. Posters want Caddy playing that role, well Jack is a lot better than Caddy.

Nank only need 8-10 minutes rest a Q. Balta could take CHF, have a spell on the bench 4-5 in the ruck per Q.

Not sure Soldo will be ready to go round 1, hasn't played footy in 18 months so will need some VFL under his belt I reckon.

Jack and Lynchs positioning may have been to do with Chol/CJ playing a lot. Chol rucking a lot but CJ was up fwd when he played. I don't really know how they structured it. Lynch had a knee injury required surgery. His kicking was off. Lynch has the leg to kick from beyond 50.
Soldo has missed a season of football. The 18 months should work in his favour, when it comes to recovery.
Balta has COVID too, so yet to see if that affects his preseason.
I'm going to have a great year.....zero expectations. Richmond has the potential to serve up a repeat of either 2020 or 2021.

 

[Del65166]

Always thought turning the possiblity of balta out of the backline into a meme was fraught with danger

Bit like CJ,s return from suspension in Round 7...

 

[4tune8]

An interesting article for those naysayers re Balta as a KPF, Colina mentioned as well

AFL draft 2017, top prospects, Noah Balta

21

Noah Balta

Age

26

Ht

194cm

Wt

105kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.8

2star

K

6.7

3star

HB

3.1

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

1.9

4star

MG

236.3

4star

D

12.0

3star

K

6.7

3star

HB

5.3

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

0.3

1star

MG

233.0

4star

D

7.0

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

2.0

2star

M

1.8

2star

T

1.8

4star

MG

217.4

4star

, profiles, John Barnes (foxsports.com.au)

 

[Moppey]

You need to look at his highlights in his draft year as well as VFL footage in his 1st year, the fella is an absolute gun at either end of the ground.

He is not untried as a forward.

We need to have the players playing in positions where they have the most impact, most will say that's as a KPD but that's not where he most impactful. Wing/ruck/KPF/KPD is where he sits

IMO we originally threw Balta into defence when Rance retired and there were no other viable options.Prior to that he was being groomed as a fwd he can certainly play there and it would be wise to get more games into him in the role because he really is the only viable option we have on the list to join JR and TL.

It's not the 90s anymore. The true CHF doesn't have as clear a role as they used to and it hasn't been the most important position in years. The intercepting CHB is far more important than the CHF.

Demons had average tall forwards at best, but they don't win the flag without May and Lever.

We won a flag with Jack and 5 short people, because we had Grimes, Rance, Astbury, Vlastuin eating everything that came down.

We won a flag because of a system and a dominant midfield.
we went and got Lynch because we knew playing just one key forward was not sustainable
we don't win the flag without Lynch in our team for 2019.

You may not rate em but Melbourne had Brown who in 2017 2018 and 2019 kicked 63, 61, 64 goals respectively. He averaged basically two a game this year, McDonald who gives a contest and makes sure the ball hits the ground and Jackson as their third fwd and he gives Gawn a spell in the ruck when he needs one.They had in the wings Wiedeman and at the draft saw fit to use pick 19 their first pick on JVR.Then took Blake Howes maybe not kpp but a tall fwd likened to Gunston. They drafted those two despite having six kpf players on their list.

We literally have just Jack at 33 and Tom at 29. Who gets hurt the most if a tall fwd or two goes down. We dont even have a genuine tall fwd in the system to develop.

Im gunna keep saying it at least with Miller entering year 4 and looking like he is finally ready to play at the level, Nyuon third year and now Gibcus we have tall defenders at varying stages of development.Imo Miller can perform Astbury's role he should be able to at the very least play as a decent shut down defender.
Tarrant takes Balta's spot and i really think he is currently a better defender than Balta.

How do we or should we go about next year? do nothing and hope we dont cop injuries to JR and TL and just throw someone in there who has not been playing as a fwd, because if we cop an injury that will be the option if we do nothing. Or do we do the most obvious and logical thing with the best chance of working and thats play Balta as a fwd.

Imo we originally threw Balta back after Rance retired because of the lack of options, we are now in the same situation with key forwards and Balta is the most likely one to succeed and compliment the team in the role.

The bottom line for me is we must have some ready to go genuine cover in this area no one else fits the criteria as well as Balta does.

 

[juss]

IMO we originally threw Balta into defence when Rance retired and there were no other viable options.Prior to that he was being groomed as a fwd he can certainly play there and it would be wise to get more games into him in the role because he really is the only viable option we have on the list to join JR and TL.


We won a flag because of a system and a dominant midfield.
we went and got Lynch because we knew playing just one key forward was not sustainable
we don't win the flag without Lynch in our team for 2019.

You may not rate em but Melbourne had Brown who in 2017 2018 and 2019 kicked 63, 61, 64 goals respectively. He averaged basically two a game this year, McDonald who gives a contest and makes sure the ball hits the ground and Jackson as their third fwd and he gives Gawn a spell in the ruck when he needs one.They had in the wings Wiedeman and at the draft saw fit to use pick 19 their first pick on JVR.Then took Blake Howes maybe not kpp but a tall fwd likened to Gunston. They drafted those two despite having six kpf players on their list.

We literally have just Jack at 33 and Tom at 29. Who gets hurt the most if a tall fwd or two goes down. We dont even have a genuine tall fwd in the system to develop.

Im gunna keep saying it at least with Miller entering year 4 and looking like he is finally ready to play at the level, Nyuon third year and now Gibcus we have tall defenders at varying stages of development.Imo Miller can perform Astbury's role he should be able to at the very least play as a decent shut down defender.
Tarrant takes Balta's spot and i really think he is currently a better defender than Balta.

How do we or should we go about next year? do nothing and hope we dont cop injuries to JR and TL and just throw someone in there who has not been playing as a fwd, because if we cop an injury that will be the option if we do nothing. Or do we do the most obvious and logical thing with the best chance of working and thats play Balta as a fwd.

Imo we originally threw Balta back after Rance retired because of the lack of options, we are now in the same situation with key forwards and Balta is the most likely one to succeed and compliment the team in the role.

The bottom line for me is we must have some ready to go genuine cover in this area no one else fits the criteria as well as Balta does.

If Balta is going to be a KPF, we will hear about it pretty quickly because it would pretty much be in the first training report.

In my view, they'll keep him as a KPD. This "can go forward" stuff is like saying once a month he might play a quarter in the front half when nothing is working. If they aren't going to develop him as a proper forward, then he'll stay our long term Rance replacement defender.

Gibcus is the interesting one, as because he's just starting his career they could try him forward early and if it doesn't work, send him to his natural junior position as a defender.

 

[Grrr]

If Balta is going to be a KPF, we will hear about it pretty quickly because it would pretty much be in the first training report.

In my view, they'll keep him as a KPD. This "can go forward" stuff is like saying once a month he might play a quarter in the front half when nothing is working. If they aren't going to develop him as a proper forward, then he'll stay our long term Rance replacement defender.

Gibcus is the interesting one, as because he's just starting his career they could try him forward early and if it doesn't work, send him to his natural junior position as a defender.

I think Miller can play forward, did it as a junior. I've only seen him play there once and only for a half, but he looked like a natural forward. As has been mentioned, a CHF has to make a contest and stop the ball being intercept marked, i.e. bring it to ground if you can't mark it yourself. For that you need mobility and reasonable judgement in the air.

Not fussed if it is Balta or Miller, but I am glad it isn't Chol anymore because he does not have the intensity to do it, and CCJ because he is more of a ruck and not mobile enough. Maybe even Biggy can do it. Big, quick and nobody will out reach him if he goes at it hard enough. You never know how players develop until they are given a shot.

 

[juss]

I think Miller can play forward, did it as a junior. I've only seen him play there once and only for a half, but he looked like a natural forward. As has been mentioned, a CHF has to make a contest and stop the ball being intercept marked, i.e. bring it to ground if you can't mark it yourself. For that you need mobility and reasonable judgement in the air.

Not fussed if it is Balta or Miller, but I am glad it isn't Chol anymore because he does not have the intensity to do it, and CCJ because he is more of a ruck and not mobile enough. Maybe even Biggy can do it. Big, quick and nobody will out reach him if he goes at it hard enough. You never know how players develop until they are given a shot.

Haven't seen anything of Bigoa (neither good nor bad), but I think they were pretty high on him as an intercept defender too.

It's what I find a bit odd with our big men over the past decade, we've gone very KPD focus and even HBF focus.

Certainly the skew is very back half focussed. Will be very interested to see what the KPF plans are post Jack and to a lesser extent, but not miles away post Lynch (30 next year with a mounting injury/surgery history).

Even Gibcus calls himself a Jake Lever model, so we definitely didn't take a pure forward.

I think we almost have to in the 2022 draft/trade period, unless they throw a curve ball and someone moves forward or they start Gibcus as a forward.

I think a lot of people hope it's Balta, but I feel like that's not the plans to make him a pure forward. I reckon they might not even use him as second ruck in the games Nank and Soldo both play, Balta won't be needed in the ruck.

 

[Grrr]

Haven't seen anything of Bigoa (neither good nor bad), but I think they were pretty high on him as an intercept defender too.

It's what I find a bit odd with our big men over the past decade, we've gone very KPD focus and even HBF focus.

Certainly the skew is very back half focussed. Will be very interested to see what the KPF plans are post Jack and to a lesser extent, but not miles away post Lynch (30 next year with a mounting injury/surgery history).

Even Gibcus calls himself a Jake Lever model, so we definitely didn't take a pure forward.

I think we almost have to in the 2022 draft/trade period, unless they throw a curve ball and someone moves forward or they start Gibcus as a forward.

I think a lot of people hope it's Balta, but I feel like that's not the plans to make him a pure forward. I reckon they might not even use him as second ruck in the games Nank and Soldo both play, Balta won't be needed in the ruck.

You'd have to say there hasn't been much focus. Key forwards are harder to find, most go high in the draft, most are a bit of a gamble.
It could be a trade next year, the draft next year is supposed to be more tall oriented than this year, but I think we need another forward regardless this year.

I am sort of glad we lost KKJ and Chol, because I don't think either were the answer. I think we have to play with what we have currently. If either Jack or Lynch gets injured, we have nobody. Hence I think we need to get some game time into another of our talls forward. Even if they train there this preseason as backup so they have some idea of the structures. And you never know, one of them might actually make a good go of it.

 

[tiger_tough]

The bonus using Balta forward is that he is a perfect 2nd ruck. We don't really have any others.

 

[Rioli2Rioli]

Haven't seen anything of Bigoa (neither good nor bad), but I think they were pretty high on him as an intercept defender too.

It's what I find a bit odd with our big men over the past decade, we've gone very KPD focus and even HBF focus.

Certainly the skew is very back half focussed. Will be very interested to see what the KPF plans are post Jack and to a lesser extent, but not miles away post Lynch (30 next year with a mounting injury/surgery history).

Even Gibcus calls himself a Jake Lever model, so we definitely didn't take a pure forward.

I think we almost have to in the 2022 draft/trade period, unless they throw a curve ball and someone moves forward or they start Gibcus as a forward.

I think a lot of people hope it's Balta, but I feel like that's not the plans to make him a pure forward. I reckon they might not even use him as second ruck in the games Nank and Soldo both play, Balta won't be needed in the ruck.

I personally believe that Miller will be just as effective foward as Chol was and might surprise a few
He has all the tools height , leap , speed , agility etc and was played as a foward as a junior so just makes sense to be the direct replacement with Chol gone

Next yers draft is Rich with very tall (196-200cm) Kpf and we will have a few to pick from and hopefully 1 of Lemmey , Keeler , Scully, Cockshell which i think will be a good get and available at around our pick